Native Title heavy-hitter joins KPMG

Glen Kelly, the former chief executive officer of the National Native Title Council, has joined professional services firm KPMG Australia as a director of its specialist consulting practice, KPMG Arrilla Indigenous Services.

In announcing the appointment, KPMG said Mr Kelly, a Noongar man from Western Australia, brings to the role 20 years of experience in Aboriginal affairs, Native Title, community development and Indigenous land management at local, national and international levels.

As the chief executive officer of the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council for nearly a decade, Kelly worked as the chief negotiator for the Noongar people with WA Government on the $1.3 billion South West Native Title Settlement, which was brought to a halt by the Federal Court but is back on the agenda after changes to laws by Federal Parliament.

More recently, Kelly has served as the CEO of the National Native Title Council.

He will be based in Perth for KPMG.

The firm said he would have a national focus collaborating with clients to build Indigenous businesses, advising on the delivery of Indigenous projects, and supporting government and corporate clients to meet their Reconciliation Action Plan and Indigenous Procurement Policy targets.

“For many years, KPMG has been committed to the empowerment of Indigenous communities and their people, and it’s important to us that we service both Indigenous and non-Indigenous business to create a sustainable economic, social and cultural outcome,” said the chairman of KPMG’s WA office Gary Smith.

Mr Kelly said he was excited about the new role.

“I firmly believe that Indigenous culture contains many insights and values that are of benefit to Australian society,” he said.